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The First 5 Years: What It Actually Feels Like to Be a Young Artist in Malaysia

                                     Photo by Patty Brito Once the last day of the graduate show ends, that’s it. No more student label. No more safety net. You’re an artist now or at least, that’s what it says. I touched on this question recently " if you study fine art, must you become an artist? " But what happens after that… is a different story. For a small group, things start off quite well. Their works sell during the show. Red dots here and there. People start paying attention. It feels like maybe… okay, being an artist might actually work. But for most, that’s not the case. Some sell one or two works. Some sell sketches. While some don’t sell anything at all. And that’s already your first reality check. After that, everyone tries to step into this idea of “being an artist.”  You graduate from fine art school, being an artist is the usual route, right? So, you set up a...
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Kasih Ibu Tak Bertepi @ A.P Art Gallery

Dear Mama Supper club presents an experiential evening  Kasih Ibu Tak Bertepi An intimate evening of art, stories, shared meals, and warm conversation.  A gathering celebrating the love of mothers through: • Mother’s home-cooked meal • Live music • A daughter’s love letter to her mother • Exclusive viewing of Kasih Ibu -Latiff Mohidin đź—“ Saturday, 9 May 2026 đź•— 8 PM đź“Ť Bertamu & Berjamu, A.P Art Gallery, Jalan Negara, Taman Melawati 🎟 RM125 per pax Early bird: RM100 (before 1st May) Space is limited.  RSVP via https://forms.gle/PVDQSHB5fFAoaD998
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If You Study Fine Art, Must You Become an Artist?

                                  Photo by Junhyung Park I came across a question recently on Thread. A simple question but quite telling. “If I study fine art, what can I become?” The answers came quickly. "An artist." Said several people.  "A visual merchandiser." Said someone.  "A theme park artist." Said another.  In other words, the answer is still an artist. Just in different forms. And there is nothing wrong with the answer. A fine art education does train you to make. To think visually. To develop ideas into form. So naturally, the assumption is that you graduate and continue doing exactly that which is making artwork. But what I found more interesting was not what was said.  It was what was missing.  Because being a fine art graduate is not just about becoming an artist.  It’s about understanding how art exists.  Some graduates will go on to become...
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Critical Reflection: On Khairul Ehsani Sapari’s 'Where Your Dreams Come to Die (But, Hey, It’s All About the Journey, Right?)' by Amir Amin

  Critical Reflection: On Khairul Ehsani Sapari’s 'Where Your Dreams Come to Die (But, Hey, It’s All About the Journey, Right?)' Reading Khairul Ehsani Sapari’s article, Where Your Dreams Come to Die (But, Hey, It’s All About the Journey, Right?) was like staring at a mirror that didn’t flatter but reflected truths I both knew and tried to ignore. I approach this reflection not as a distant reader, but as an insider—an art practitioner, teacher, and observer of the Malaysian art scene. The article’s biting sarcasm, caustic humor, and bleak yet accurate picture of post-graduation life in the arts resonated deeply. Though at first glance it reads like satire, there is sincerity within the cynicism. This essay attempts to critically reflect on the themes presented, unpack their implications, and consider how they align with my lived experiences and observations in the local art industry. The Tone of Brutal Honesty (Laced with Humor) From the opening line, the tone is unapol...
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In the Margins of Legacy: Conversations on Art, Identity, and Influence with Amir and Danial Fuad by Mimie Baharuddin

We do not inherit legacy as a finished story. We inherit it as a question: What will you do with what’s been left to you? For much of my career, I believed that legacy was something static—a body of work, a series of accomplishments, perhaps even a name etched into the annals of an institution or a gallery wall. But as time passed, I realised that legacy isn’t built in grand gestures or singular achievements. It lives quietly, in the margins, carried by people, woven into the stories we don’t always tell. This realisation became particularly vivid as I reflected on my journey with Amir and Danial Fuad—two individuals who started as my assistants but evolved into formidable voices in Malaysia’s art scene. Amir, now a writer and curator whose work interrogates art’s role within cultural and social dialogues, and Danial Fuad, a photographer and writer whose lens...
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